


I Really Wanna Be With You!

by EtherealNyx



Series: Pre-Game Galar Works [18]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Birthday Fic!, Fluff and Humor, I HATE that this is a neccesary tag, M/M, Mild Blood, Mutual Pining, Pokemon Battle, Trans Character, coordinator!hop, for myself, hop please get your shit together xoxo!, i think that's. everything., jeez look at all this cheese, sort of lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2020-11-22 21:27:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20880950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtherealNyx/pseuds/EtherealNyx
Summary: Hop and confessions don’t go together very well. Luckily, he has some good people to help him out.In which there are 5 times Hop spills his heart to others, and 1 time Hop spills his heart to the right person.





	1. Leon

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EtherealNyx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EtherealNyx/gifts).

> Woah! It’s my birthday! I wrote this for myself because I’m very lovable and pathetic! Yay! I would have gifted this to someone, but it’s a peak level of self indulgence, and I am not ready to subject myself to the mortifying ordeal of being known. 
> 
> Anyway, y’all like trainshipping??? Good! Welcome to the right place for your extra cheesy fic needs!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two performers dance around a topic. Everyone applauds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly the entire reason why some of the tags up there exist. Anyway! Trans rights! 
> 
> I could totally say something more eloquent than that, but I’m trans and tired, so you get this kind of beginning note instead. Yay!
> 
> Oh, I'd also usually include this in the ending notes, but this is a bigger part of the former coordinator!hop agenda so just. Keep that in mind.

“Congratulations!” 

What a fun word! Congratulations! Just thinking about it made her insides all warm and gooey! It made her a winner! A champion! Congratulations indeed!

“Thanks!” Hop beamed at the reporters, smiling like how she was taught. “I had a ton of fun tonight!” 

“Is it true that you do not personally own the Pokémon you use in these contests?” One of the more persistent people put their mic in her face. 

“Eeyup! That’s standard practice! I’m not licensed or nothing, sooooo no Pokémon for me! Got that?” She winked at the video camera. Its blinking light winked back.

Another one elbowed their coworker out of the way. “And how old are you now, sweetheart?”

She flashed the right number of fingers. “9!” exclaimed the girl.

“Wow!” gasped the reporters. “And you’re already so experienced! What’s your secret?”

“No secrets here!” Hop told them with a laugh. “I practice a _ lot. _ That’s all any coordinator needs! One more question, please! I gotta go see my mum!” That wasn’t at all true, but none of them needed to know that. 

“Miss Najm! What advice would you give to a new coordinator?”

It was a great question. She wasn’t used to those. Most of the people who asked her things cared about who did her hair, or which Type she liked, or how her brother was doing.

Turning towards the reporter, Hop reached out and clasped their hands. “What’s _ your _ name?” 

“Uh. Glenna?” 

She proceeded to lead them into a vigorous handshake. “Awesome! For any people who wanna be like me, find out what makes you happy about contests! That’ll never steer you wrong!”

“Well, what do _ you _like about them?” None of them could help themselves.

Hop spread her arms wide. “_ Everything _, duh! Thanks for coming!”

Before any of them could catch her, she darted off into the crowd. The Yoshidas were taking her home today, and she didn’t want to keep them waiting. Her mum had missed it for once; she was going to be _ so _disappointed when Hop told her the good news! She giggled a little at the thought of her sourpuss face.

Leon hadn’t been there either, but she hadn’t really expected that to happen anyway. She always asked, and he never came. Hop was used to it. Being a Champion was super important! She’d hate for him to miss out on something cool just to see her prance around on a stage. 

She pressed a hand to her chest. A deep ache had settled there, completely unabidden. _ Don’t think about it. _ She thought to herself. _ You can’t afford to look unhappy! You won! Congratulations! _

If she looked happy, she’d be happy! That’s how things worked!

Another kid bumped into her. “Oh! Excuse me!” She resisted the urge to babble apologies. “I wasn’t looking where I’m going!”

“_Hop_?” The voice was full of wonder.

She did a double take. “Victor!” A heartbeat later, and they were hugging. “I was looking all over for you guys! Did you like it?”

Her best friend was pink all over. He looked more dashing than her. Even though some would have called his kimono out of place, she personally felt their family’s choice in formal wear was more fun than the usual suits and fancy dresses. “I did. Y-You look super pretty!”

“Thanks! I _ am _ pretty!” Hop slapped his shoulder playfully. “You’re so right!” 

He turned redder still. “I, uh, I m-meant-”

Gloria materialized by his side like an Abra clinging close to their mama Alakazam. (They both matched in terms of dress, though Gloria favored darker colors.) “Hop! That was _ awesome, _dude! Loved the flip!” Her hugs felt more like getting your lungs squeezed out through your nose, but she endured it. “Why don’t you do that more often?”

“S’not worth getting points docked off. I’m really glad you liked it though!” She clung onto her a little longer. “Did you think I was pretty up there? Vic said so!”

“_Hop! _” He complained instantly. “D-Don’t tell her that!”

“You were _ super _ adorable.” Gloria nodded, all solemn. “Victor said that too to me.”

“Really?!?” Hop almost tripped over herself in her haste to look at him. “You thought that? That’s so nice of you!” She felt like her heart could just about burst from how happy she was. Victor Yoshida was an angel, and she wanted everyone to know it.

The godsend in question was burying his face in his hands. Even his ears were starting to gain a pink tinge to them. “Why are you guys so mean to me? I’m telling the truuuth!”

“We know!” Gloria nudged her cousin none too gently. (Hop sympathized.) “It’s all good.”

“Yup!” She rocked back on her heels, trying her best to stop her urge to pace. “It sure is!”

“W-Well,” Vic stammered, still looking dismayed, “it was nice seeing you! Let’s hang out tomorrow!” 

_ Eh? _

“Wait, aren’t I supposed to be going home with you two? That’s what your Baba said last week!” Hop cocked her head to the side, confusion building up within her. 

The two cousins exchanged equally perplexed looks with each other. “That’s the first _ I’ve _heard of it…” Vic countered, though he looked very uncomfortable as he did.

Gloria nodded, not having any issues with arguing. “Yeah, aren’t you supposed to be going with your stinky brother?”

Her scoff was both loud and automatic. “That can’t be right. He’s not even here!”

“Then who’s _ that_?” 

Hop spun on her heel, almost twisting her ankle in the process. There were so many people in the Contest Hall that she could barely see who Gloria was pointing out, but the colors alone told her everything. Her eyes denied the sight, and her brain agreed with them. This couldn’t be real. It had to be a trick of some kind. She wouldn’t put it past some of her classmates to pull such a joke on her.

“L-Leon?” She found her mouth saying anyway, shock clear in her tone. (Traitor.)

Her big brother’s eyes glinted in the light. “Hop!” He bellowed, pushing through the crowd. “Over here!”

_ Yup, that’s definitely him… _How did she ever doubt it? No one else could possibly capture how strange it was to see him in person.

Being 9, Hop tended to think of people who were visibly older and taller than her as adults. Ever since Leon was 16, she had thought that he was the weirdest adult she knew. He just always ran around Galar, doing events in various ugly outfits, and no one seemed to take him seriously. Now that he was _ 18, _the feeling had only intensified. He had taken to wearing a cape in public, one that was too big for his shoulders. Maybe he’d grow into it, but Hop doubted that too.

Rather than waiting for her to move (smart, because she couldn’t make her legs work), Leon rushed over, dodging fans with every step. “There you are! You did such a good job!” Strong arms wrapped around her frame before she was suddenly spinning in the air. Peals of laughter tore themselves from her voicebox. He was here, and he had seen her! Nothing could kill her joy now!

He placed her down just in time; her head was starting to spin. “Did you see me?” Leon asked gleefully.

“Nope! I didn’t notice you were here at all!” Hop replied, just as enthusiastically. 

(Plenty of reporters got photos of the exact moment their undefeated Champion’s heart broke in half that day.)

“... Ah! Well, I wanted to surprise you! The flip was a super rad touch!” His praise was genuine. It touched her heart in a way she had missed.

Next, he turned to her friends. “It’s awesome to see you both!” Leon extended a fist. “Give it here!”

Gloria looked at him like he threw up on her shoes. “No.” said the girl, her voice clipped. Hop mostly found her animosity for her brother to be prime comedy material. The reasoning behind it confused her to no end, but there was never a dull moment when the two of them were in close proximity.

Immediately, Leon turned to Vic, an awkward smile dancing its way onto his face. “And you, buddy?”

Her best friend shrank back, taking refuge behind his cousin. “C-Congrats again, Hop! Um, see you later!” He squeaked. They both dove back into the crowd with a startling level of synchronization. Hop still had no idea how they moved so fast (and so quietly) with geta on.

Leon began to pout. “Why don’t your friends like me? I’m cool!” He groaned mournfully.

“You are a little.” She conceded. “But not a lot.”

His wince was more than a little pathetic to watch. “You wound me! Your generation is so mean!” He clutched dramatically at his chest. If they were anywhere else, Hop might have taken him seriously. But they weren’t. Both siblings did best when they were playing to a crowd, and Leon was way better at it than her.

“We should go!” She suggested lightly. “You can mope at home, silly!”

For that, he caught her before she could flee and gave her a noogie. “Nooo, my hair!” Her protest was feeble and immediately ignored; the just-shy-of-rough scrape of knuckles against her sensitive scalp continued until Leon felt it had been enough. 

In her mind’s eye, she could already see the headlines dissecting the interaction. Sometimes, Hop wasn’t sure if her brother meant for things to work out that way. Did he genuinely forget they were being watched or did he intend for this to happen? It didn’t help that she wasn’t the best at her media awareness classes; trying to parse every single aspect of public event behavior gave her a headache. At the end of the day, she was only 9. She wasn’t really suited for worries like these, ones too big for her body.

Instead of voicing her thoughts, she pulled away. “I want to _ go_.”

Leon seemed to sense the sudden dip in her mood. “Alright!” He agreed quickly. “Do you mind flying back? It’ll be faster!” His demeanor didn’t change one bit, but she could tell the entire flight would be full of talking. He was that kind of guy.

“Sure! I love Char!” Hop said, because she did, and kept on a wide smile, because it helped. 

They left the Contest Hall behind while talking endlessly about nothing at all. The flash of cameras followed.

Only once they had been flying for several minutes did Leon relax. “So! How are things?” The question could have meant anything. It _ did _mean something, but she did not know what he was looking for in her. Adults were strange like that.

“They’re fine!” She lied through her teeth. “Tonight was very good. I’m just super duper tired!”

He visibly perked up; it reminded her of a young Growlithe she used to see when she went to daycare. “I’m still so proud of you for winning! Your performance was incredible! I almost couldn’t believe that you’ve never worked with a Purrloin before. No wonder you’re tired!” 

“Yeah…” Hop exaggerated a yawn. “Vic called me pretty. And super adorable, but not to my face.” 

“Victor Yoshida? How did you feel about that?” It was a probe, but a gentle one. She didn’t mind questions like those.

“It was nice!” She admitted, still remembering that brief rush of joy. “He’s sweet to everyone though, so it doesn’t _ really _matter, but I liked it a lot! I forgot to tell him that he’s cute too. He left so quickly!”

Leon rubbed at his chin, like some professor in cartoons. “I’m sure it mattered to him to say! He cares for you a lot, you know.”

“I know!” Hop beamed. “He’s my best friend after all.”

He reached backwards to grab at her hand. “That’s good.” He told her, almost too quiet to hear over the sound of the wind. A thumb glided over her fingers, rubbing in circles upon circles upon circles. “You can never have too many people you can trust.”

“Yup!” She smiled up at the stars above, meaning every bit of it. “I want to be friends with them both _ forever. _”

“And you know what, sis? I think you will be. You’re all great kids with a lot of love to give.”

It was the nicest thing he could have said to her that day, and Hop never wanted to forget it.

And she wouldn’t.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus content y'all missed: Hop proceeds to hug Char once they land cuteness ensues
> 
> is it notes time? I think it’s notes time!
> 
> \- As I've said before, I write Hop as a trans boy. During the process of working out a rudimentary timeline, I've established certain key events starting from age 4 and going to age 13, when he starts on his journey. At this point, he's 9 and isn't really aware of any of this. I'm not going to tackle his exploration of that in this sort of series because there's so many experiences and ways to figure that aspect of yourself (as in gender identity) out, and my own is the only one I feel confident writing down, but I don't want to saddle him with mine.
> 
> Tldr; he is trans and using the wrong pronouns was honestly v weird while writing this dfojdojofd
> 
> \- Najm means star in Arabic. It's a reference to two things! One: both Leon and Hop are metaphorical Galarian stars. Two: Hop's name in the French translation (Nabil) is Arabic, though the meaning is different. 
> 
> \- For those new with us: Victor and Gloria are part Japanese in our terms and they live with their grandmother (Baba). They both wear kimono and geta (somewhat elevated sandals) with tabi (these good socks!) to formal events because she insists on it. 
> 
> \- Yes, Victor took hours to psych himself up for that moment. Yes, Hop didn't notice. Welcome to the start of this hell.
> 
> \- I'd comment on Gloria's >:( attitude but it's literally just me transcribing a joke I don't know how to elaborate on it beyond that,,,
> 
> Currently, we're at a point where Victor is pining and Hop just thinks very highly of him. We'll get there! I hope you'll continue reading! Thanks so much!


	2. Alto + Co

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two Pokémon and a boy are tired of each other's shit. What happens next will surprise you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On to the next part of this tale! 
> 
> I like writing Pokémon. Like, the creatures. That's basically all you're getting here.
> 
> Oh, and Hop's veryyy,,, FDOJFOF well. He's. He's trying his best. I hope you enjoy!

Another day, another challenge. Hop wasn’t sure how his brother did it all the time. 

The little kids around here were _ persistent_. He couldn’t remember being half as intense as some of them at that age, even with all he had done during that brief period of time. No matter how many times they lost, they came crawling back a few hours later, demanding more of the same treatment. He could admire that, and he did! But couldn’t they give his poor team a break?

For starters, he only had two Pokémon so far. While he made sure to spend part of his day questing for new captures, none had appealed to him so far. To make matters worse, Alto and Treble weren’t exactly _ bosom buddies_. He had no idea how Vic managed to calm them down; whenever _ he _tried, they’d just go at each other like a pair of territorial Duraludon.

_ Okay. Let’s look on the bright side! _ He thought as he stretched, hands almost brushing against the fabric of his tent. _ I know not to smile at Alto with teeth now! And I’m getting a little faster from all this running! Baby steps! _

“Rise and shine, Alto!” He patted his Grookey’s side. While most people didn’t sleep near their Pokémon, Hop was used to always having one nearby him at night. One way he made working with his team more fair was alternating between the two of them each night. Eventually, he wanted to get to a point where both could be out at the same time, but he was fine with waiting. Hop wasn’t a patient person by any means, except for where his Pokémon were concerned.

_ And _his friends, but that was neither here nor there.

Alto jerked awake without any grace. Taking in the sight of his devoted trainer, he did the sensible thing and hissed. 

“Don’t be like that, Alto.” Hop scolded gently. “Or Vic won’t give you extra helpings next time! He doesn’t like _ naughty _ Pokémon!”

At the mention of Victor, the Grookey automatically perked up. “Meep?!?” 

“Eh? No, he’s not here.” 

A split second later, Alto’s stick impacted against Hop’s knee. 

“Ow! What the _ fuck, _Alto?” He clenched his jaw. Screaming felt super counterproductive to what he had in mind for the little monkey. 

True to form, his starter looked very innocent. Victor often called the little hellion ‘Hop’s grassy angel’, and in moments like these, he could see how the impression had been created. Alto was just too cute! His entire well-being was in danger here! 

“Why are you so mean to me?!?” He threw up his hands. “I can’t even stay mad at you, and you always do this to me!”

Alto whacked his stick on the ground, screeching all the while. _ Where is he? _He seemed to be saying. 

Hop shrugged. “I don’t _ know. _ He’s prepping for his first gym battle. And don’t even start on the helping him crap, buddy! He told me specifically not to talk to him for a whole week! A _ week_! Apparently, I’m too distracting! Me!”

“You know, sometimes I wonder if he hates me now.” He knelt down, lowering his voice to a whisper. You never knew who was walking around. “It’s like… I see him and then everything’s cool right before he vanishes on me again! Some Rivals do that, but I thought we’d be different. Maybe I’m just stupid. Do you think I’m dumb, Alto?” 

In response, his starter leapt onto his shoulder and nuzzled his face. A soft sigh escaped his lips. “Thanks, buddy.” He said tiredly. “I just don’t get it! If he hates me, he should just say so!”

_ Smack. _

“OW!” Hop howled. “Why?!?”

Alto chittered at him angrily. If he had to guess, the monkey didn’t like his theory. “Then what do _ you _ think? I can’t figure it out!” He huffed, wincing at the growing soreness in his face. That was sure to bruise. 

Most Grookey were musically inclined. Luckily, his was no different, but he also had a strange talent for drawing pictures. It didn’t compromise any of their training, though Hop _ did _have to watch out for any potential property damage. 

Out here in the wild, Alto didn’t have to worry about problems like ‘legalities’. Unhindered at last, he immediately began digging in the dirt with his stick. _ If only I could be that carefree… _Hop thought to himself. 

After a few seconds, his starter let out some proud hoots and scrambled up his body again. He confidently pointed at his drawing, making more high-pitched noises with each thrust of his hand. 

Hop stared down at it. Then back up at Alto. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down.

“Don’t be _ ridiculous! _ ” He blurted out at once, thoroughly embarrassed by the poorly drawn heart and _ nothing else_. “Vic’s too cool to like me! It has to be something else!”

Alto squealed again, louder and more insistent this time. Both were incredibly stubborn beings. 

“_Look,_” Hop glared at the monkey, “I don’t care how much you want his curry! Good Pokémon don’t lie!” 

He backed down at the threat of another blow; call him a coward if you must, but Alto’s stick hurt a _ lot! _ “You know what? Fine, you win. I’ll ask Rotom to translate.”

Once Rotom had heard the situation, it sounded delighted by the prospect. “Bzzt! I love translating! I’m happy to be of zzzzzervice!” 

“Scree scree scree!” 

“Mmmhm!”

“Scree!”

“I see!”

“Ooo ooo ooo ooo!” 

“Okay! Got it all!”

“So? What did Alto say?!?” Distantly, he was aware of his cheeks getting warmer, but that was surely just because of second-hand embarrassment. 

Rotom made a suspiciously cheery whistling noise. “Our good friend Victor Yoshida thinkzzz your smile makes the sun shine brighter! Congratulations!”

Hop scowled down at his phone. “Be serious. What did Alto_ actually _say?” He commanded, his tolerance for bullshit at its limit. 

The mischievous light faded from the Pokémon’s eyes. “I mean it, bzzt!” It claimed firmly. “Alto talked to Dewdrop and-”

“Vic’s Sobble?” He couldn’t help but interrupt. Dewdrop was a sweet little thing in most cases. Her temperament didn’t suit gossip at all. If any Pokémon’s opinion on the matter would have any merit, it’d be hers. 

_ And Victor tells her everything. _Part of his mind whispered.

_ Shut up, conscious or whatever you are. _ He answered back. 

“You’ve got it!” The phone made a dinging sound, the type often heard in game shows. “He often tells her about how hard it is to be around you, and other mushy gushy stuff. I don’t understand human terms of endearment well, so maybe I’m misinterpreting some things, but isn’t longing to ‘date’ someone a romantic sentiment?”

When your entire world is thrown into turmoil, the brain tends to latch onto insignificant details. “You didn’t say bzzt.” Hop croaked, deaf to any sort of reply from the suddenly indignant phone. Blood was rushing too loudly in his ears for silly things like hearing and processing information. 

The thing was, deep down, he had known for a while how Victor felt. Many a night of pouring over cheesy magazines with the Yoshidas had taught him a few things. The signs were all there: flushed cheeks, stuttered words, even a strange memory for all the things Hop wrote off as unimportant about himself. But Victor had _ always _been like that, as far back as he could remember. Weren’t crushes supposed to cause a change in behavior?

_ Y-You look super pretty! I, uh, I m-meant- _

“Oh no.” Hop breathed. “Oh _ no._” 

Victor _ liked _ him. He had a crush on him. On _ him_, the kid who legitimately thought running off to the circus was a smart decision. “This is _ horrible_!”

Rotom produced a confused buzz. “But why? Isn’t thizzz what you want?”

“It isn’t!” Hop cried. “Vic has shit taste! And he’s liked me for so long too! He’s almost past the point of no return! What happens if he ends up dating some flop of a child star by following the example his crush on me set and gets his heart broken?!? Then he’ll be sad and I’ll be sad and Gloria will be on the run from the law-”

“You are truly the dumbest owner I’ve ever had, bzzt.” 

“Oi!” He shook the device. “Don’t be a dick about Victor’s romantic prospects! They’re important to me!” 

“And _ why _ is that?” Rotom looked very unimpressed. “Full offense, buuut most people are _ happy _when feelings are reciprocated. That’zzz what the good ole database tells me!”

“Eh? Don’t tell me…” Hop closed his eyes. Why would his phone think that? He was being a nice, caring best friend, right? Of course he was! Unless…?

“AAAAAA!”

“There it is.”

“I can’t believe this! This is _ awful!_ My best friend’s completely out of my league!”

“But you’re both competing in the same one…?” Rotom reeked of bewilderment. 

He groaned. “_Metaphorically speaking!_” 

Victor was _ cute. _ When they were kids, everyone used to say he was the sweetest person in the class, and he had always been someone who’d sacrifice so much of his time to help others. Hop wasn’t like that at _ all. _He cared, deeply, right before fucking things up for everyone. Even if he told him about his feelings, how could he go through with anything when the difference was so clear? 

_ I want him to be happy. _Hop thought. It wasn’t the first time that had occurred to him, and it wouldn’t be the last. 

“Thanks, guys.” He finally said, weary. “I guess I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

Alto was finally happy again, if the dancing was any indication. Even Rotom joined in on the fun, floating around with lots of jubilation. 

For once, though, Hop couldn’t share their joy. He had a lot to think about.

And he had a decision to make. But he’d need some help. 

  
Some very, _ very _ peevish help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On to notes! I was initially too lazy to do them, but I changed my mind. Anyway, here we go.
> 
> \- Treble was sleeping the entire time. Rotom filled her in later, much to her amusement. As for why I didn't write her explicitly interacting with the rest of the team, Alto and Treble have a conflict over the first Pokémon vs starter Pokémon, and it would have derailed the entire discussion. They'll get over it! Maybe!
> 
> \- Most Pokémon find Victor to be soothing. It's mostly down to his personality, though he blames his breeder training.
> 
> \- Alto is a very ornery Pokémon and it shows gjfgjfgo
> 
> \- Fun little secret: Rotom wants a music-themed nickname too :(
> 
> Fair note that this isn't actually completely compliant to my other fics in terms of Hop working out his feelings because I am just messing around~
> 
> I tried my best to write this to be funny, but. It's lowkey not dofjojodjodjo anyway thank you so much for reading I love you all


	3. Gloria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clearly, being a sap is a winning strategy here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda played around with the narration a little more here...? I hope it's still good!!! I'm a little anxious about it haha!
> 
> My brain's a little dead from the PSAT at the time I'm writing this, so I have no clue if there are errors either. Enjoy!!!

“You what.”

“I’m sorry!” Hop prostrated himself in her hotel room’s doorway. “Please don’t end me!”

Gloria was slowly turning redder. _ Not a good sign, Hop. _ The pit in his stomach grew in size. _ Not a good sign at all. _

Let us consider a few facts here.

Hop and Victor were best friends, but Gloria was his friend _ first. _She actually introduced the two of them; in her mind, her cousin needed someone to talk to that didn’t share his last name, and Hop had seemed perfect for the task. 

Unbeknownst to Hop, she was currently also thinking about the very same thing. Unlike him, her ability to process surprises was never compromised by silly things like rage. She was too used to irritation for that to stop her. Instead, she was thinking about how hard her life was about to become, and she was _ dreading _ it.

But Hop didn’t know that. He didn’t even picture it. He just kept staring at the way her face changed colors. “Uh.” He risked speaking. “Gl-?”

A hand trapped his arm in its abnormally strong grip. “You. Come with me.” It wasn’t a request. 

“Eh?” He said helpfully before she dragged him away. 

* * *

If you didn’t know Gloria, she wouldn’t have seemed like a person who beat her first gym in one go at first glance, but you would have been able to tell that she wasn’t your average Joe. In Hop’s eyes, the posture was the first clue. She always held herself like she’d be thrown into a fight at any moment, and that she was planning to win. 

This was not a comforting observation to make over milkshakes, but he couldn’t help it. Her gaze was keeping him pinned to his seat, and her mannerisms suddenly became all he could think about.

“I’ll be frank with you.” Gloria said, brandishing her straw in a way that felt threatening. “You’re hardly the biggest wanker I know, and my cousin could do worse, but you don’t have to prove yourself to him. He thinks you shit gold for fuck’s sake. You have to prove yourself to _ me.” _

He relaxed a fraction. Standard rules it was. He had never met a single person more overprotective than her, but rolling with that wasn’t _ too _hard. “What do you want?”

“Look, I love Victor to bits, but he’s stupid.” She held up a finger as he bristled; the message was clear. “He _ is_. Don’t glare at me like that when you know it’s true. He’s not going to catch on to any subtle hints. If you’re going to tell you, you better make it obvious, and you’ve _ got _to mean it. I can’t stress that enough. If this is just some phase, say so now and we’ll have no problems with each other.”

“I…” Hop hesitated. He certainly wanted to make some grand, romantic declaration. Victor was a sentimental soul, and that felt like an action that suited his kind of affection best. But it wouldn’t be _ real_. Didn’t people value the truth? 

“I can’t say that for sure.” 

“And why not?”

“I don’t want to lie to you. I have no clue how I’ll feel 10 years down the road. Hell, I could be _ dead! _I don’t want to promise something like this when I’m just not sure how things will play out later. Promises matter. I just know I like him a lot, and I want your help.” The words flowed off his tongue with ease. If he was going to think about anything romantic, he had to be realistic. Storybook romances just didn’t exist.

Slowly, she put the straw back where it belonged. “You have balls. I’ll give you that.” She said begrudgingly, but Hop knew when respect was showing. It shone, there in the orbs set into her skull, a strange flame lighting them up from the inside out. “And you’re lucky I like you so much.”

“I know I am.” He smiled across the table at her. “You don’t have to tell me _ that_!”

“Still,” she continued, crushing his hopes under her heel again, “you haven’t impressed me yet. What are you planning to do?” 

“Take him out?” He tilted his head. Gloria was getting at something, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Congratulations. You’re officially the most original person I know.” Gloria drawled sarcastically. “No, dumbass! I’m talking about the smaller things. What do you expect from him? There has to be _ something.” _

Here is another fact: Hop didn’t think about romance often. As a kid, he had spent most of his time learning how to move through the world, and it almost killed him. There were so many wrong ways to feel and think, he had found, so many ways to screw up. It was better not to think too hard about anything complicated. That way, you can't mess it up.

With that being said, he tried for once in his life. He had never properly visualized Victor in those settings before. What _ did _he expect? Was it valid to say that it was a mystery to his own heart? 

“Once,” he said without thinking at all, “we climbed up to the roof to watch a meteor shower. I thought it was the prettiest sight in the world, but when it was over and I looked at him, he was already staring right at me.”

“... And?” Gloria furrowed her brow. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I want more nights like that! And days like that! But I want to be the one looking this time! I… I want to understand it, the way he feels! And I expect him to be looking back at me and wanting to understand how I feel! That’s all there is to it!”

_ Man, I sound like a bloody shoujo protagonist. _

Gloria mimed gagging. “Hop, you sound like a bloody shoujo protagonist.” 

“Thanks for the compliment!” He said, because he was stubborn like that. 

“Well, if you’re this sappy when you’re ‘not sure’, I… guess I’ll help. But only if you don’t slow me down too much! I won’t help your asses if you somehow miss the Champion Cup deadline.” 

Running around the table and hugging her tightly was probably excessive, but Hop didn’t care one bit. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Oi! Get off me!” She snarled, but she was probably happy about it deep down. Gloria was funny that way. “I’ll crush you!”

“I know.” He sighed, the picture of contentment. “That’s fine! Getting hugged is worth the risk! I can’t wait to work with you!”

Little did they know that their little plans would have to be postponed for a long, long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hop: I like your cousin
> 
> Gloria: yeah I know
> 
> Hop: I just felt that was good to know. That I really like your cousin.
> 
> Gloria: shut the fuck up Hop
> 
> That's it. That's the chapter. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
> 
> \- I genuinely love writing Gloria, buuut I also write her personality in a very rudimentary way, unlike some other characters I can name. This is mainly bc I still want to perfect her image in my mind.
> 
> \- ^ one main fact i'm solid on though is that she's a well known trainer in terms of battling prowess
> 
> That's all I think I can say on this haha but feel free to ask regardless


	4. Bede

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A third conspirator is in the midst of being recruited. A problem is rising to the forefront of the background narrative. Those two events are not necessarily connected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bede time! 
> 
> We're getting really canon divergent in this one for obvious reasons, so buckle up and get ready for this ride!!!

“Are you sure you should be bothering him right now?” Hop stared at Gloria skeptically. “I mean, after last week?”

“It’s _ Bede. _” She said in lieu of any actual explanation. Then she cracked her knuckles. Loudly. 

Hop didn’t question her again.

Normal people knocked. Gloria was not one of them, nor had she ever pretended to be. Case in point: no normal person actually went through with the idle thought of kicking a door open. Or, at least, he hoped they didn’t. It’d really mess with his head otherwise. 

“Oh! It’s Drednaw!” Rather than seeing any trace of their shared rival and friend(?), they were greeted by his overly giddy phone. “_And _Scorbunny! What a party!”

Experimental Rotom phone models were eccentric at best and horrible at worst. Out of all of them, Marnie’s was probably the worst, considering its leanings towards violent revolution, but Bede’s was far from benign. So long as everyone played by its rules, it was alright to be around. But that was no way to live.

Gloria grimaced at the sight of it, but the expression smoothed over in the next moment, like ripples resolving themselves. Hop related to the feeling; even her own Rotom was less annoying. “Is, uh, _ Wooloo _ around?”

The Rotom seemed to miss her sarcasm, which was their only saving grace. “He’s getting changed! Wait a tic!” With that being said, it immediately powered itself off, falling down onto the bed with a thump. 

“I still can’t get over the fact that Vic gets to be called _ Corviknight._” Hop only whispered this because Bede’s Rotom liked to pretend to be asleep, just to cause problems later on down the road. “I keep trying to call him Alcremie, and it won’t let me!” 

“Cranky because you’re Scorbunny, aren’t you?” Gloria smirked, incredibly smug. 

“You know, I think the Drednaw comparison is accurate!” He pretended to look like he was having a revelation. “You’d totally bite off fingers if you could!”

Bede walked in to her giving Hop a noogie while calling him a cunt. 

“Bede, heeelp meeee…” He whined, still trapped by his friend’s superior strength. 

Violet eyes blinked before they were screwed tight by pure irritation. “I’m not even sure if I should ask why the two of you are in my room, or how you even found out what hotel I was staying in.”

Gloria untangled herself from Hop’s body in one fluid motion, allowing him to finally breathe again. “I have my ways! Now come here.”

“Eh?” was all Bede could get out before she grabbed him and began dragging their poor rival away with very little resistance. 

_ Huh. _ Hop thought as he followed behind them. _ This sure is giving me deja vu. _

* * *

  


Bede had a way about him that made everyone feel like he was perpetually disinterested in their company. This was mostly down to what Hop liked to call his ‘aura’. 

These days, it was an increasingly hostile energy, but Hop couldn’t blame him. The closer the Champion Cup got, the more tense everyone was. Even Vic wasn’t happy about being stuck on his 7th badge, and Vic could find a reason to be happy about being trapped in a well! (Really. That had happened once.)

“So. What do you two want from me? Money? Strategies?” The posh boy had his hands folded in his lap. He kept twitching, almost like he was restraining himself.

“What? No.” Gloria scoffed loudly. “Your strategies are shit anyway. Why are you people so _ paranoid _ lately?” While he wasn’t fully sold on this theory, if he had to guess, the venom in her voice was probably directed at Marnie, who had basically vanished off the face of the earth. He hoped she was alright, wherever she was. The 8th gym was getting to all of them.

“I personally wanted to say congrats on your last battle!” Hop gushed. “The levitation trick was really neat!” 

Normally, praise led to Bede acting more pleasantly. It smoothed out his features, made him more approachable even. Normally. Instead, he looked guarded, glaring back at him with suspicion. “Thank you.” The words sounded more like a curse than anything built off of true gratitude. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t sting a little.

A large clap startled him out of his momentary funk. “_Okay, _let’s talk shop.” She pointed a fry at Bede. “Hop here is hopeless, and wanted to ask for your advice on something. I’m only here for moral support. Oh, and also to laugh, but that’s not important.”

“Stop being vague.” His scowl only became more pronounced. “What’s the issue here?”

“I’ve been trying to tell Vic about my feelings for him, but there’s never been a good opportunity! And when there is, something happens and my entire plan becomes rubbish! I need all the help I can get!” With his piece being done, he returned to sipping at his soda.

Everyone in the diner felt a sharp pang of shock before Bede got a hold of himself. (Opal had been rubbing off on him, and not in a good way.) “You _ like _ him?”

“Don’t sound so surprised. That’s my cousin, you know.” Gloria mumbled around a mouthful of fries. “He’s a fucking _ delight _ to be around.” There was nothing but sincerity in those words. Honestly? Hop called that growth.

“The concept of someone crushing on Victor isn’t foreign to me. It’s just odd to hear that _ you _have one. I would have assumed otherwise.” 

Hop barely managed to keep himself from frowning at the other boy’s words. “See, I’d ask why, but I don’t really wanna know.” 

“I sincerely hope you-”

"**Enough.**” Gloria snarled. 

They both shut up. 

Her face retained the tension that the rest of her body wasn’t displaying. “Cut the shit! I didn’t break with my busy fucking schedule to watch a couple of twats duke it out!” Around her, some families started to glare at her language, but she either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “Anyway, it’s simple math. Two minds are better than one, and three are better than two. Will you pitch in or what?”

“You want me.” Hop had never seen such a bemused look on Bede’s face before. “To help you two.”

“It’s a yes or no question, asshole.”

  
  
“Gloria!” He smacked her shoulder. “You’re not helping.” _ She must be in a bad mood. She’s not usually this crass. _Luckily, their rival was visibly mulling things over in his head; he wasn’t paying attention to their little fight in the slightest.

“Hm… No.”

Both of them began to gawk. “Wha-?”

The shift in the air was so abrupt and strong that Hop almost choked on it. “You’re an absolute fool if you think this is the right time for that.” His voice was quiet, bitter, like ice and sharp knives wrapped together in an inseparable bundle. “And if you also think I’m willing to be complicit in your pitiful self-sabotage attempt, then you’re wrong.”

_ Self-sabotage?!? _At those words, his heart lit on fire. “That’s not what this is!” He protested, just as bitter with more anger besides.

“Isn’t it?” Bede didn’t look satisfied in the slightest. “None of this is a game. You can’t shoot yourself in the foot right before the finish line and expect to come in first. Maybe you’ve been too caught up in your own fantasies to realize, but giving in to distraction helps no one. Not you, not Victor, and certainly not any of your fans. It’s really quite tragic how naive you are about this.”

It was an incredibly harsh critique. He would be lying if he said it didn’t sting. Him? Naive? Well, sure. He didn’t need some guy to tell him that. But, if his confession ended up hurting Victor’s chances indirectly, he’d never forgive himself. 

Next to him, Gloria was slowly gaining steam again. “_You _-”

“Thanks!” Hop interrupted her. “What you said was really helpful!”

  
  
Their rival’s eyes widened into saucers. “It was?” He said it like no one had ever told him that before.

“It _ was? _” Even his childhood friend looked bewildered.

“Yes! You’re a great friend, mate! I’m all fired up now!” He pumped his fist into the air. “Once I win this Champion Cup, talking out these feelings with him will be a piece of cake!”

Bede stood up from the table, visibly seething. “We are _ not _friends, and you're hardly going to be the one winning. I don’t see how you came to that conclusion from what I told you. You’re only hindering your own growth if you keep using your emotions as a motivator.” 

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m a performer!” Hop smiled at him, unaffected by the display of irritation with his attitude; he was used to all of that already. “If I don’t throw my entire soul into things, then what’s the point?”

“What indeed.” For a moment, he looked like he might actually say something. In the next, he was gone.

Gloria finished the last of her fries. “I’d say that was a productive meeting!” She slapped her belly. “Wonder what’s eating him. He’s right about one thing though.”

“What is it?”

She cracked a Sharpedo smile. “The only winner is going to be _ me._”

“Mmhm! Whatever you say!” Hop replied mirthfully, already pushing down the turmoil in favor of this new plan. “We’ll just have to see about that!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one admittedly went beyond what I pictured, but I'm happy with it! Also, y'all get notes!!! Woo
> 
> \- Bede's Rotom calls people by Pokémon names exclusively. (Marnie is called Obstagoon.) It's a very troublesome phone!
> 
> \- For their friend group of sorts, Gloria, being the one with the most presence and consistent strength, is the self-elected leader, and it shows. RIP everyone else though
> 
> \- This is just written from a scenario where they all are highkey stressed from being unable to beat the 8th gym while the deadline comes closer and closer for qualifying for the Champion Cup. I think that was clear, but. I just wanted to clarify!
> 
> \- ^ in a similar vein Bede's not explicitly trying to be an asshole or anything he's just genuinely upset by the situation
> 
> I think that covers it! Next one is Marnie!! Look forward to it!


	5. Marnie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hospital stays aren't ideal, but friends make it work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair amount of warning for this chapter! Here's where the mild blood tag applies! Also the Pokémon battle one, though it's a bit debatable if it actually is seen as one by the others.
> 
> I'd say just read with caution,, esp since this references a spoiler-esque aspect of the Affleck leak p heavily!!! you can easily skip to the next chapter for actual fluff odfjfoojfd

_ Knock knock. _

“Who’s there?” Hop called jokingly. 

The door swung open. “It’s only me right now.” Marnie poked her head through the doorway. “Does that bother you?”

“Nah. It’s a bit harder to talk with loads of people around!” Almost as if his body wanted to prove that point, his chest spasmed. “Y-You’re fine.”

“Mmm.” As per usual, she sat on the foot of his bed, narrowly avoiding his legs and feet. “How have you been?”

  
  
“Well, the food ain’t exactly gourmet,” he quipped, “but I’m not being treated poorly. So I guess there’s that.” 

She laughed slightly. The sound echoed in the quiet of the morning, though perhaps that was just his mind playing tricks on him. It sounded incredibly hollow to his ears. “I suppose even this hospital can’t figure good food out.”

“Yeah…” He let out a sigh, sinking back into the comfort of his pillow and bedsheets. 

They fell into an uncomfortable silence. He could feel the tremors made by her fidgeting, but she never breathed a word. Marnie was like that more often these days, he reflected. If it wasn’t for the shaking and the sound of gentle exhales, he’d be convinced that this was merely a dream.

Eventually, Marnie smacked her lips, a precursor for talking. “Who’s been in to see you?”

“Bede came skulking around two days ago, surprisingly. I mean, he _ did _ say ‘I told you so’, but it was a nice visit beyond that! Oh, and Sonia came too! Leon and Gloria come pretty regularly, and Mum said she’d be here tomorrow.” Hop chattered on and on. (He didn’t particularly _ want _ to see her, mainly because of the loud crying, but the prospect of seeing Aderyn helped just a little.)

“And Victor?”

  
  
Instantly, he drooped. “... No.”

  
  
She looked as sympathetic as she could manage. “We haven’t found him yet, but no one’s leaving the region right now anyway. He can’t hide away forever.”

“He _ wouldn’t _leave. Vic’s not that kind of guy!” Hop argued. “I know he’ll show up. He has to!”

“No need to shout. You’ll hurt yourself.” Her quiet disapproval had the power to scald. “You and Gloria would know best about Victor, not me.”

He sat up a little, ignoring the ache in his side. “It’s my fault anyway. He’ll come back once he realizes that.” 

Marnie’s expression darkened. “It is not. You need to stop blaming yourself.” She said, voice thick with a hint of the undefinable. 

“But if I just _ told _him-”

  
  
“You. Didn’t. Know.” She lightly poked his leg. “It’s honestly absurd to make you take responsibility when you almost died. Neither of you are the problem here.”

Hop slid back down again, pulling the sheets up to his chin. “I can’t stop thinking about it though…” He admitted quietly. _ And I don’t _ want _ to stop thinking about it. _

The last memory he had of Victor was of him crying, and the taste of salt and iron on his tongue. Then there was white nothing, an Etch-a-Sketch just waiting to be filled. It hadn’t been what he wanted. Trying to win hadn’t worked, if the pain in his body was anything to go by. Maybe he just wasn’t the right person to be Champion.

Maybe he wasn’t the right guy to make Victor happy either. 

“It’s alright if you can’t. But don’t give up now.” said the girl. “You’ll never get the closure you deserve if you do.”

She said this with such certainty that he had to do a double take. “Eh? That sounds more like a Bede thing to say!” His snort of laughter was both painful and awkward. “Are you sure you’re not an imposter?”

Silence.

“... Marnie?”

Her gaze was extremely judgmental. “You’re far less funny when you’re hospitalized.”

“Um. Thanks…?” He’d normally be offended, but the situation was too bewildering for that. _ Is there something she knows that she’s just not telling me? _He wondered. Marnie wasn’t the type to have secrets, so far as he knew, but he wasn’t all that sure about anyone anymore.

Without any warning, she grasped one of his hands between her own. “I don’t have much time left, Hop. I need to tell you that I’m here for you, no matter what. It might not look like it, but I promise that I wouldn’t lie about that. And I need you to remember this conversation as best as you can. It might seem hard, but I believe in you.”

Hop tried to pull away, but Marnie’s grip was far too firm. “Wh-Why are you doing this?” He asked nervously, unable to keep the stutter from his voice.

“Everyone’s suffering alongside you. You need to wake up.”

“Marnie, you’re not making any sense!”

His friend smiled and let his hand go. “I know,” she said as she grabbed his spare pillow, “but this is the only way I could talk to you. Now wake up.”

Hop stared at her with horror, unable to move away. “Why would you-"

White descended onto his face. “**W̵̦̤ͅa̪͉͕͈̘͟ke̻͕͓̟ ̶u̳̮p̵̭̝͍̖̟̙.**”

* * *

“You’re awake!” It was the most emotion he had ever heard from the girl. “Thank the gods.”

He spat up a globule of blood directly onto her dress.

Marnie wrinkled her nose. “On further reflection, go back to sleep.”

There it was, the taste of salt and iron on his tongue. “What happened to me?” Hop croaked. Each throb reminded him more and more of the sensation that someone had rummaged around in his head with a spoon.

Or something.

Now that he was focusing, he could make out the sound of someone screaming commands, though it was very difficult when a much louder creature was making anguished noises, the kind an animal makes when in its death throes. “Is that Gloria?!?” What in the world was going on?!?

Marnie’s expression was very grim. “Unfortunately. To answer your question, Eternatus got you. I thought it was a stray move at first, but my new hypothesis is that it was intentional.” She lifted a fist to rub at the bloody gash on her head. “I don’t know what vendetta it has against you, but being under Nightmare almost killed you. You woke up just in time. Congratulations on your mental strength.”

  
  
_ Eternatus. _How could he have forgotten the angry god? “Are you bleeding ‘cause of that bastard?” 

“No, not at all. I got hit by a bomb. Bede’s out of commission now, so I’m on medical duty.” She gestured next to him. Sure enough, the blonde was lying there, as silent as the grave.

_ All my fault, all my fault, all my- _

“You were in my dream, you know.” Hop mentioned casually as he began to sit up. 

“Was I really?”

“Yeah, you smothered me with a pillow.”

“Oh.”

“But,” he said, “I think all of that was for the best. I know how to stop Eternatus now.”

Marnie looked very skeptical. He didn’t blame her; he would have looked the same if someone told him the same thing. Eternatus couldn’t be stopped in everyone’s eyes, only trapped, and that had failed. What else could they do but fight and try to survive?

Except he _ did _ know. How could he not when the god itself had told him?

“Hop, don’t stand.” Muted frustration radiated from every pore. “You’re hurt.”

“It’s fine! I’m not alone! I have you!” Getting to his feet made his head spin, but he _ had _to do this. He was the only one who remembered. Succumbing to his dizziness was something he could do later, once everyone was well.

"_Hop!"_

Before she could pull him back or set Yang on him (all valid choices), Hop was running. Running away and running forward- that was what he did best.

“Victor!” He screamed, ignoring the agony in his larynx and deep ache in his lungs. “You have to catch it!”

Right before his eyes, Hanabi toppled over, felled by one too many blows. Hop could almost smell Gloria’s rage. “Come at me, you piece of shit!” She roared as she let out another member of her team, completely blind to his presence. Good. The full burden wouldn’t be falling on her shoulders for once.

But Victor heard. Victor always did.

“I have to what?” The boy turned in his direction, visibly overcome by the trauma of the experience. Tears ran down his face in wide streams even as he asked the fateful question, his words choked up by grief.

Arms wrapped around Hop’s middle. “Hop, please go lie down. You’ll only worsen your condition!” Marnie _ weeped. _Were it not for the lingering wetness on his jacket, he wouldn’t have trusted his own ears and eyes.

He cupped his hands over his mouth. “Catch it! _ It wants you to catch it!_” 

“What?!?” Victor stumbled backwards a half step, like he had been stabbed right through the heart. “I… Hop, I can’t do that! It hurt you!”

“That doesn’t matter!” Hop shouted back. “Just do it before things get worse!”

The world was starting to fade into darkness; it took another second for him to realize his failing eyes were to blame. _ I’m going to pass out… _ He thought distantly. _ It’s not going to be pretty. _

Behind him, the sound of soft crying ceased. “You heard him, Yoshida! Catch it already!” Marnie raised her voice, louder than she ever had before.

_ I need to tell you that I’m here for you, no matter what. It might not look like it, but I promise that I wouldn’t lie about that. _

“CATCH IT, VICTOR!”

Two things happened at once.

  1. A dark tendril of energy bodyslammed Dewdrop into the ground.
  2. Another larger mass of the stuff knocked into Gloria so hard that her feet left the ground. 

Both the Pokémon and the girl were very still.

Later on, Hop would reflect that he could see the light switch get flicked in Victor’s brain. All of the sadness and doubt fell away in an instant, unable to exist in his body. Only deep rage remained.

But at the time, he didn’t register a thing. It was hard to when your legs were giving out underneath you and your mind was spiraling down, down, down…

The last thing he saw before the darkness claimed him was a desperate toss of a Master Ball. 

His entire world was quiet after that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me and my 10 billion eternatus theories will just be over here weeping when Nov 15 hits don't mind us
> 
> Anyway, I really like Marnie and I enjoy writing her. I hope she gets a lot of screentime and development in the final product! 
> 
> I don't really have many notes on this, mainly bc my thoughts are all scrambled, but if you haven't read any of my other works, Marnie doesn't mean a LITERAL bomb. It's a 'psychic bomb'; think of it as a wave of psionic energy. The gash is less from the bomb itself and more from her hitting her head. She's fine though
> 
> Also, because I was asked to clarify: Eternatus is, in my head, a Dark type legendary that is very, VERY dangerous. Hop got hit by - as Marnie said - Nightmare after it used Hypnosis on him. The beginning part was the result of that.
> 
> Yang's her Morpeko. I named it after my guinea pig, Yinny, who is very fat and mean to me :( I love him though xoxo~ and Hanabi's Gloria's fully evolved Scorbunny :> I'm sure Dewdrop is familiar to y'all
> 
> I think I'll answer any other questions in the comments,,, c: please feel free to ask me any! Thanks for reading!


	6. Masaru

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe this is how a friendship dies. Maybe it dies with rice all sticky in your throat, competing for space with your heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally made it! With 10 days to spare! Yay! I know I'll be posting this on the 29th, but please enjoy!!!

Things kept changing for Hop, but he found that he didn’t mind as much lately. Maybe he was finally growing up a little. Maybe.

One change was that cafes didn’t ban Victor anymore. Who would think to bar the Galarian Champion from entering, even if he _ did _ have a tea-crazed demon in his possession? Surely, all the little accidents were just that: _ accidents. _Still, he avoided any establishments like the plague. 

If he had to be honest with himself, Hop didn’t mind that little quirk one bit. It made a better excuse for their picnics. 

The first time they had one, he told himself that today was the day to confess. And then Victor had laughed and wiped a spot of curry from the corner of his mouth with a napkin, all tender-like. Instead of doing anything suave, he ended up choking a little on his saliva. 

The second time was in the Yoshidas' field. He felt too nervous to bring up the subject then; being surrounded by temperamental sheep wasn’t exactly conducive to a romantic atmosphere. It was still a lot of fun though. Eating so much led to drowsiness, and that led to falling asleep in the world’s coziest pillow fort. Just like old times.

After that defeat, he found himself making excuses to avoid a third picnic. When he really sat down and mulled over his mental block, it all hinged on that second change, the one he couldn’t get out of his head.

Victor didn’t blush around him anymore.

They laughed around each other like they always did, but Victor’s was less awkward sounding. He didn’t hesitate when they hugged, and he certainly didn’t start rambling and looking away when the distance between them got a little smaller. They were close friends again, but the other boy had never felt farther away. 

So Hop withdrew. In his mind, he and his complicated feelings would just serve as an intrusion in his best friend’s newfound success. Galarian Champions didn’t need rivals; they shone on their own.

But here was another change - Victor didn’t agree.

“I haven’t seen you in a while!” He was practically whining into his shoulder, grip so tight that Hop couldn’t pull away even if he wanted to. “If you’re not busy, we can go eat right now! I’ve brought food!”

“Aw, Vic…” He rubbed circles into his back, struggling to think. “I’d love to, but-”

  
  
“But what?” Brown eyes, glowing with too much innocent disappointment for his comfort, pierced into his own. “Is now a bad time? I’m sorry…” 

“No, no, it’s fine! I was going to say that I have nothing nice to wear!” Hop quickly amended his statement. He couldn’t bear to see his best friend look at him like he blew out the sun and shattered the moon.

“Oh!” Victor lit up, finally pulling away. “That’s hardly a problem! You always look very lovely! I’ll wait for you outside, okay? Don’t take too long!”

“I won’t!” He replied, trying not to combust from his sweetly delivered offhand compliment. That Yoshida boy! He was far too kind for his own good!

_ It wasn’t exactly a lie when I said that I have nothing nice to wear though… _He sighed at the mess his closet had become. Hopefully, he wouldn’t leave Victor waiting too long. 

* * *

Whoever said third time’s the charm was a liar to the end. Hop loathed them personally.

Nothing happened beyond Victor complimenting his new pair of jeans and them splitting some spicy sausage curry on rice. The entire time, his best friend babbled on and on about how he was scheduled to fight every single Gym Leader in Galar to secure the Champion title for good and how stressed he was by the prospect.

  
  
“You’ll cheer me on, won’t you? I’ll feel better with Hop by my side!” Right then, Victor had grabbed his hand, leaving his brain to short circuit. His fingers were cold. 

“Of course! I won’t miss a single one!” Hop said it a bit too loudly, but it was the only way he could distract himself from the sinking feeling in his heart. He was being friendzoned before his very eyes, and he wasn’t brave enough to do anything after it.

Picnics became their thing. None of them were a comfort to him though. The more they did so, the more he mourned, feeling trapped in this endless cycle of politeness and affection that burned too much. Each time was an act of self-immolation, and each time saw him lighting the match less eagerly. 

He wanted to tell him. But he wanted him to be happy. The two wishes just couldn’t come to terms with each other. There was no room for compromise. 

As he’d say to others later on, he always knew that a picnic would be where their current friendship died. He just didn’t know when until the very one arrived.

It had been a beautiful day, and Victor had solidly defeated Opal at her full strength the day before. “Let’s go eat!” He engulfed Hop when he saw him, almost drowning him in sheer enthusiasm. “I have so much to tell you!”

  
  
“Okay!” He could feel his heart struggling to stay alive in his chest.

The meal for the day was toast curry. He remembered it well because the red had started to stain the bread. 

“I hope you like it!” He said, as if Hop could ever hate something he made. 

“I will!” He replied, confident in Victor’s cooking skills. Sure enough, it was delicious, just as expected.

Hop was halfway through the meal when Victor said, “You’ve been avoiding me.”

He spluttered around a clump of rice. “Eh? No, I haven’t been! I come and wish you congratulations, don’t I? What gave you that dumb impression, huh?”

His best friend frowned at his lie. “I _ know _you. It hurts to always be the one extending the invitation to hang out. I didn’t want to mention it because I thought maybe I was being ‘dumb’, but now you won’t even talk to me about it.”

With all the calmness he could muster (which was not a lot), Hop swallowed the rice. It had somehow turned to ash in his mouth. He swallowed the resulting bile too. “Vic, we’re best friends. Why would I ever want to avoid you?”

  
  
“I don’t know. You tell me.” He leaned in closer. Just the mere hint of lavender hitting his nostrils was enough to make him flush. “Am I bothering you?”

_ It should be criminal for someone to smell so nice! _ Hop thought, a bit bitter. _ Why does he have to be so pleasant right before breaking my heart for good? _ “I…”

He hesitated. The easy path was lying. But it was also the one that would piss his friend off the most; Victor always saw through him, no matter what. Telling a falsehood wouldn’t benefit anyone in the end, least of all himself.

“You are a little.” Hop admitted, unable to look directly at the other boy. Despite this, or maybe because of this, he heard the sharp inhale anyway.

“I… I am?” The Champion - and by the gods, it was weird to think of him that way - looked incredibly lost and hurt. “I’m _ so _sorry-”

On pure impulse, Hop threw his arms around him, burying his face into his friend’s chest. "_Vic! _Stop apologizing to me! It’s not your fault that you’re so cute!” 

From where he was, he could hear just how fast Victor’s heart was beating. _ Oh. _Why was that happening? 

“I, uh, I don’t! I-I!” While he couldn’t bear to look just yet, the familiar sound of Victor stumbling over his words felt like being wrapped in a warm blanket. “Hop, I d-don’t want to assume, but, um. _ Wh-What_?”

In. Out. In. He could do this. He could say what he meant because it was Victor and things were changing, but maybe that was alright. Opening his heart wasn’t always a death sentence. He had learned that already. All he had to do was apply that knowledge to this.

Hop shifted a bit and reached up to cradle his best friend’s extremely red face. “I like you!” He shouted. “I like you a lot! And your attention bothers me because I thought you stopped liking me, but I see I was just being dumb too! I’m very sorry for making you feel bad! It’s alright to be mad, but I’d really like it if you weren’t!”

He could see the precise moment when Victor’s brain shut down. “Is this for real?” The way he said it, all wistful and unsure, made Hop want to pull him close and never let go. 

“If I need to tell you that my feelings for you are real, then I will every day!” Unable to stand looking for longer, he rested his chin on one of his available shoulders that looked very promising as a resting spot. 

He could tell the moment those words registered. Eager hands suddenly pulled him flush against Victor’s chest, almost too tight to be borne without complaint. “H-Hop?”

“Yeah?” He tried his best not to croak now, but it was one of the hardest things he had ever done.

Soft lips pressed against his scalp. Truth be told, Hop Najm almost died that day. “I’m very sorry too for making you doubt my feelings for you!” Victor exclaimed, though far more softly than him. “I just felt awful for doing you a disservice and was trying to fix it!”

  
  
“Huh? Disservice how?” Nothing about what his best friend did had ever hurt him, if he thought hard on it. Nothing except for minor things, but he could tell that wasn’t what the other boy meant.

“I’ve loved you for 9 years, and the entire time, I put you on this pedestal in my mind and thought that was where you ought to be. I thought that I ought to never hold you like this, never talk to you like this, never kiss you like this, because you were you and I was just me. That wasn’t fair to you!” The next squeeze was a little firm, almost like he was trying to distract Hop from his melancholy. “I haven’t learned to love you right at all!”

_ Love, love, love, love, love, love. _ It crashed around his brain, bouncing into the walls that made up his whole understanding of the world and breaking them down. _ Love, love, love, love, love, love. _He hadn’t understood Victor’s feelings after all. 

“I don’t love you right now,” Hop said very carefully, “but I’d like to! I’ve never felt bad from your love at all, though I appreciate you wanting to stop. I want to be loved for me.”

“I know! I know that! I promise I will!” His best friend sounded so distressed by the implication that he’d do otherwise that his voice almost gave out during his declaration. Distantly, Hop registered wetness landing on his exposed skin.

He glanced upward to see Victor crying. “Oh! Don’t cry!” Dismay settled in his bones. “You’re alright! I really do like you!”

“Yes…” He murmured through his tears like a prayer. “You do…”

His smile was watery, small, and perfect all at once. Hop thought to himself, _ I really, _ really _ like this boy. _

“Victor-”

“Masaru.”

“Eh?” 

Cold fingers tilted his chin upwards. “I t-trust you with my name! Please call me Masaru!” He pleaded, continuing to cry.

Masaru. Masaru Yoshida. It fit him like a glove he had never expected to buy.

“_Masaru_.” Hop breathed, feeling full of light. “Please go out with me!”

If the infinitely warmer lips pressed against his were any indication, the answer to his earnest request was a resounding yes.

* * *

**Bonus**

“Wait.” Hop pulled away from Masaru’s dizzying kisses, light headed. “_9 years? _ You had a crush on me when I was 5?!? I was even dumber back then! _ Why?_”

“Well,” his boyfriend sighed happily, “you broke your eraser and gave me half. It was the nicest thing any kid had done for me!”

“That’s all it takes, huh…” He gazed at the blissful teen, very worried. _ Masaru Yoshida, you truly have terrible taste! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ^^ I finally managed to finish, and what a wild ride this was... 
> 
> Anyway, as said before, this isn't entirely compliant with my other works. I'm figuring stuff out as I go!! Thanks for coming along with me on my journey to keep improving my writing! It's been fun, and I'm really excited for the games!
> 
> My Tumblr's bi-hop if you wanna talk!!! Thanks for all the support; kudos and comments are always very welcome in my book! I appreciate y'all! Bye!!! And happy birthday to me :P


End file.
